It has historically been common that absorbent articles, in general including diapers, adult incontinence products, underarm sweat products, collar inserts, sanitary napkins and pantiliners are provided in a colour communicating a hygienic condition. This conventionally resulted in white or predominantly white articles. This did fit well with the historically predominant undergarment colour in which these articles are worn, namely white undergarments. As a result white pantiliners or white sanitary napkins are not easily recognizable when used in such white undergarments.
Very recently fashion has led women more frequently to use other colours than white undergarments. This has been dictated not only by fashion itself but also as a result of the development of clothing, which has a certain translucency and allows the colour of the undergarment to be recognized. Furthermore very recently so-called G-String undergarments or “Tanga-Slips” have become widely used in particular by a younger generation women. These so-called string tangas are particularly used to prevent easy recognition of the contour of the undergarment through tight fitting clothes.
It has thus become a need to have sanitary napkins or pantiliners available, which match the colour of the undergarments (and typically the garments) in order to prevent a colour-based recognition of the presence of such articles (under the assumption that modern clothing can be translucent).
For sanitary napkins or pantiliners having so-called wings which are folded around the outside of the undergarment this is even more important since the wing part of the sanitary napkin or pantiliner is on purpose folded onto the outside of the undergarment and therefore easily visible, depending on the clothing worn over the undergarment.
Sanitary towels comprising an absorbent material and a backsheet (side directed towards the garment), which is skin tone coloured are disclosed in FI 9602361 to Anja Levoranta. The colouring can simulate the real skin colour. DE 19821821 to Evelyn Buetow discloses pantiliners that can be separated in two tanga pantiliners along their diagonal line. They are preferably produced in a variety of different colours. Indeed, the topsheet and the backsheet of these pantiliners might be coloured.
It has been established that in the event that dark coloured absorbent articles are desired, i.e. an article with at least a dark coloured topsheet and preferably both a dark coloured topsheet and backsheet, the problem that arises for the user is how to recognise that the article is loaded and accordingly needs to be changed.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a dark coloured absorbent article, namely those having a dark coloured topsheet so as to be designed for use with dark coloured undergarments, typically black ones, that might nevertheless give indication to the user as to when to substitute the article by a new one.
This problem has now been solved by providing absorbent articles with a dark topsheet, a backsheet and an underlying layer, said underlying layer comprising a light layer having an L Hunter value of 60 or more and being positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet, all of those layers being coextensive to have a common peripheral edge.
Because of this particular construction of the absorbent article said light layer is visually detectable along the peripheral edge of the absorbent article, thereby providing a loading indicator by changing colour to the colour of the liquid absorbed within the absorbent article. This is opening the possibility for the wearer to notice by visual inspection along the peripheral edges that the article is loaded with body fluids and to substitute it subsequently.
The absorbent article comprises an underlying layer, which is either a single layer or a multiplicity of layers. The topsheet-facing surface of the underlying layer is preferably of dark colour and more preferably matches the colour of the topsheet. Said topsheet is also preferably apertured, so that the underlying layer, namely the topsheet-facing surface thereof, is visible through the topsheet.
Such an execution is preferred in the context of dark absorbent articles, like pantiliners or sanitary napkins, it is particularly discrete in use when worn with dark coloured undergarment, and is provided with a loading indicator that is discrete too, only serving its purpose of indicating when to change the article.
By said construction, the light coloured layer, typically the absorbent core, is hence not recognizable through the apertures of the topsheet, thereby providing discretion in use of the entire absorbent article of the present invention, but is visible at the peripheral edge of the article, thereby fulfilling its function as a loading indicator. Masking the light coloured layer in dark coloured absorbent articles having a dark apertured topsheet provides enhanced discretion in use, especially in more intimate moment of woman life, where the woman may have to remove her undergarment. Another benefit associated to the dark coloured absorbent articles according to this embodiment of the present invention in use is the masking effect of the bodily discharge absorbed and retained in the absorbent articles. Bodily fluids like vaginal secretions, urine lost and/or menstruation will be masked by the presence of an underlying layer (e.g., secondary topsheet and/or absorbent core) having a topsheet-facing surface with an L Hunter value of less than 60, preferably matching the colour of the topsheet of the absorbent articles of the present invention. This contributes to overall comfort and discretion. Indeed optimum masking of any bodily fluid discharge especially menstrual blood discharge, into the absorbent article, is achieved when both the topsheet and the topsheet-facing surface of the underlying layer have an L hunter value of less than 30 and are preferably of black colour.
In one embodiment herein the absorbent articles of the present invention might comprise in their absorbent core odour control materials like for instance active carbon, which is from far one of the most active and cost effective odour control material. This odour control material was traditionally not desired in conventional hygienic white absorbent articles due to its inherent black colour. Active carbon (also called charcoal) might advantageously be used in the dark coloured absorbent articles of the present invention especially the black ones, without impairing on the comfort and discretion of the article.
In another embodiment of the present invention the underlying layer has a topsheet-facing surface having an L Hunter value of 60 or more. In this execution the underlying layer is noticeable to the wearer of the absorbent article either through apertures of an apertured topsheet, when such a topsheet is incorporated into the article, or through the relative opacity of a non-apertured topsheet, e.g. a thin woven or nonwoven. This underlying layer serves the purpose of a loading indicator as the wearer can notice by visual inspection at the peripheral edge of the article but also through the topsheet that the article has been exposed to body fluids. From an overall discretion point of view this embodiment is less desirable.